(Newser)
–
It's the third largest saltwater lake on Earth—or was. Iran's Oroumieh Lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans, and gulls, has shrunk by 60% and could disappear entirely in just a few years, thanks to persistent drought, misguided irrigation policies, and the damming of rivers that feed it. The AP talks to a local who used to give boat tours for tourists—until he started to have to stop the boat every 10 minutes to unfoul the propeller, and ultimately gave up. "The visitors were not enjoying such a boring trip," he said, noting they had to cross hundreds of meters of salty lakebed just to reach the boat from the wharf.

Beyond tourism, the salt-saturated lake threatens nearby agriculture, as storms sometimes carry the salt far afield. Experts worry about a "salt tsunami": the effect of as many as 10 billion tons of dry salt blowing in the desert winds. The AP notes that Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has been steadily shrinking since rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet Union irrigation projects in 1960s; it's a good but unfortunate indicator of what is to come for Iran. The Aral is now less than one-tenth of its original size.

Solidified salts of the Oroumieh Lake, are seen on its shore, some 370 miles (600 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Saturday, April 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An Iranian family walk on the solidified salts of the Oroumieh Lake, as they sightsee the lake, some 370 miles (600 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An abandoned ship is stuck in the solidified salts of the Oroumieh Lake, some 370 miles (600 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

An abandoned boat is stuck in the solidified salts of the Oroumieh Lake, some 370 miles (600 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)